Shaney Chorlton gave the officer her sister-in-law Deborah Chorlton’s name but was found out when her sister-in-law received a summons and contacted the police, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Chorlton, 39, of Elizabeth Way, admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice, driving without insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with her licence.

Sentencing her to a six month prison sentence suspended for two years, Judge David Goodin, told Chorlton that if her sister-in-law had not contacted the police and told them she was not the driver she might have been arrested.

In addition to the suspended sentence she was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work in the community and told to pay £150 prosecution costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said Shaney Chorlton was stopped by a police officer in Cobbold Road, Felixstowe, on September 26 last year.

She was asked to provide her documents and her details and gave her name as Deborah Chorlton. She was given a fixed penalty notice and when this was not complied with a summons went to her sister-in-law.

When Deborah Chorlton went to the police station to query the summons she spoke to the officer who had stopped Shaney Chorlton and he realised they were not the same person.

Paul Donegan, for Chorlton, said she had a provisional driving licence and had taken out insurance but this had been revoked without her knowledge. He said Chorlton had told a “foolish, spontaneous lie” that had spiralled out of control and that relations between his client and her sister-in-law remained “tense”.